


The Professor's Day Off

by Archadian_Skies



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Gen, Jericho Crew (Detroit: Become Human) as Family, Leo Manfred Redemption, Meet-Cute, Past Drug Addiction, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27768043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archadian_Skies/pseuds/Archadian_Skies
Summary: A job’s a job, and the possible threat of being held at gunpoint during attempted robberies is something he considers a pro rather than con. Sure it’s the graveyard shift but a job’s a job, and he’s lucky to even be alive let alone finding employment at some convenience store.He meets all sorts of interesting people, but at 3am one shift he meets a junkie. Having been on the other side, he knows that the best thing he can do is to treat the man like he's a human being and show him he's not invisible. Call it karma, call it paying it forward, call it whatever- Leo's just glad he's now in a position to give what he finally received.
Relationships: Elijah Kamski/Leo Manfred, Leo Manfred & Simon
Comments: 15
Kudos: 38





	The Professor's Day Off

**Author's Note:**

  * For [olivetrees](https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivetrees/gifts).



> This is all Ollie's cute ideas stirred and stewed into hopefully an entertaining fic!

A job’s a job, and the possible threat of being held at gunpoint during attempted robberies is something he considers a pro rather than con. Sure it’s the graveyard shift but a job’s a job, and he’s lucky to even be alive let alone finding employment at some convenience store. It’s even one of the nice-ish ones on the outskirts of the nice-ish part of town. Yeah, Leo thinks he’s got it pretty good. 

The robo-revolution is over and Markus and his crew, the Jericho Four or as Leo calls them- the Jericrew have won the battle to be legally recognised as living, sentient beings. It’s signed into Law just as Leo finishes the longest stint he’s ever managed in rehab and he thinks he got off pretty lucky all it took was a well-earned, well-deserved concussion to literally knock some sense into him. He does a lot of soul searching whilst in rehab because there’s fuck all to do, and as he watches the revolution and its aftermath unfold he realises he never resented androids, he never resented Markus, even, he just resented that Carl thought to pour his affection and guidance into something, _someone_ that wasn’t his own flesh and blood.

Actually, Leo discovers he’d much rather be known as the Manfred that’s Markus Manfred’s brother, than the Manfred that’s Carl Manfred’s son. If he digs deep enough he knows he’s always going to be desperately yearning for his father’s approval but really, the old man can fuck right off. They’ve made some sort of shaky truce now and Leo knows he’ll never be the father he wanted, the father that hopeful sixteen year old deserved, but at least now he can figure out a new set of feelings that aren’t downright envy and pity and fury. 

The job is a good start. The job is proof he’s not a complete fuck up (no matter how many times Simon so very determinedly argues otherwise but Simon is an angel and angels say nice things with such conviction), the job is Leo’s first step into, well, being Leo again and not a red ice junkie with daddy issues. He’s now an ex-junkie with daddy issues but he’s going to therapy for that (also Simon’s angelic idea with his angelic support). 

Nothing really happens for a while. He stocks shelves, he watches a lot of news, he scans and bags stuff that the handful of customers buy. There’s a lot of medical staff from the nearby hospital who drop by as their shift changes. There’s truckies sometimes. There’s party goers, and those are the ones he hates the most because they stumble around and knock shit off the shelves and there’s been a couple of times he’s had to clean puke off the tiles. Simon’s been down thrice, just to say hello because that’s just how sweet Simon is and each time he’s made sure Leo’s warm enough, has a beanie, has some gloves he knitted just for him. It’s the first gift he’s ever received in years and he has to go to the stockroom to have a bit of a sort of crying breakdown over it but no one else is aware of that so Leo can swear he processed it like a normal person. 

It’s 3am and there hasn’t been a customer for at least an hour when the guy shuffles in. He looks not quite homeless, but maybe very nearly. He looks like a junkie, to be honest, and Leo would know. He has a wild look in his startling ice blue eyes behind those big thick rimmed glasses, an overgrown beard, and he has a hoodie pulled over stringy, greasy unwashed hair. His hands are jammed into his pockets and he’s frowning, muttering to himself fervidly under his breath. The guy plucks a pack of energy drinks off the shelf and a couple of jumbo bags of chips before placing them on the counter. 

“That’s $8.99.” Leo says as he bags the items.

“-process the data transfer but then the core-” the guy mutters, as if not hearing him at all. 

“Sorry what?”

“Hm?” He blinks at him, as if seeing him for the first time. “Oh, err-” digging in his pocket he takes out his phone and taps it to the eftpos machine. Leo hands him the bag.

“Have a good morning.” 

“Morning?” He echoes with a frown, before looking at his phone, eyes widening. “Oh. So it is.” Taking the bag, he shuffles back out with a dazed look on his face. Huh. Well, it’s not the weirdest interaction he’s had by far but it’s still a little weird.

The guy shuffles back into the store at 3am, on the dot, four days later. He grabs the pack of energy drinks and jumbo bags of chips, just like last time. He looks a bit worse though, his frown deep and troubled, and his eyes bloodshot. Leo knows this look too, he knows it’s what happens when you go a bit long between hits and the withdrawal starts to hit. The guy’s got money, though, paying for the items with his phone but Leo’s still a bit worried.

“Here.” He hands him the cheapest bottled water they stock. “It’s on the house.”

“Oh.” His hand trembles slightly when he reaches over to take it, and Leo knows he’s made the right choice. “Um. Thanks?”

“Make sure you drink it, all of it, okay?”

“Err, sure?” He leaves with his purchased snacks and Leo watches him to make sure he doesn’t bin the water outside. He doesn’t, and he turns the corner and walks out of sight.

Junkie guy is back the next day looking even worse, and Leo thinks Simon is definitely rubbing off on him because all he can pay attention to is the thin hoodie and the slumped posture and the greasy hair and the way his hands shake when he reaches for things.

“-but it hasn’t been fully decoded, so we can’t-” he’s muttering under his breath again, and Leo can still only manage to catch snippets as he shuffles around. He looks over at him suddenly. “Do you have thirium here?” Oh shit. _No_. No it’s not the same as a hit; fresh thirium can’t be substituted for red ice it has to be the processed kind. The kind that’s been run through an android already. 

“Um, no.” He lies. They do. They have to, it’s the law, or well it _will_ be soon Josh tells him; all stores that sell human beverages must stock thirium too. It’s not quite set in stone nationwide but Detroit city has already implemented it. 

“Oh.” The guy looks visibly dejected. “Not ideal.”

“It isn’t.” Leo says before he can stop himself. “But if you make really strong cold brew and pour in two cans of energy drinks and a crushed no-doze the caffeine and sugar will sort of make your brain wired enough.”

“Does it really?” He tips his head slightly. “Never thought to try that. Thanks for the suggestion.” 

“You have to drink heaps of water though.” Leo adds quickly. “And make sure you’re warm.”

“Okay.” He nods as he takes the bag from him. “Thanks for the tip.”

A whole week passes before he sees the junkie again and Leo never wants to admit how relieved he is when the guy trudges in at 3am that bleary Wednesday morning. Two packs of energy drinks this time but no chips. Going for the sugar and caffeine rather than the food. 

“You doin’ alright?” Leo asks and he knows that’s not a thing you’re meant to ask a customer but god knows he has experience being on the other side, being that faceless nameless junkie no one looks at, no one cares about, no one would miss if he was found dead in an alley.

“Hm?” The guy does that owlish blink, all big blue bloodshot eyes, and his skin is such a sallow colour. “Oh. Not sleeping much.” A shrug. “Can’t really. Lots to do.” He makes a dismissive gesture. “You know?”

He doesn’t but he nods. “Yeah.” It’s then he notes the small logo on the guy’s hoodie. “Hey is that an Astro Boy hoodie?” The guy’s whole disposition changes and he lights up with a grin.

“Yeah I got this ages ago. Limited edition Uniqlo anniversary collab.” He looks down at the logo on his breast, grin widening. “Sniped it within seconds of the online release.”

“My dad’s got one of the original manga pages framed in his house.” Leo shrugs. “I actually liked Urasawa’s Pluto series more but I mean, you really can’t downplay how important Astroy Boy is in the history of manga.”

“You’ve read Pluto?” The guy looks downright enraptured and Leo knows what it’s like to be dismissed so fuck yeah he’s going to validate this guy’s hyperfixation with the added bonus he actually knows what he’s talking about too.

“Yeah I went to art school and one of my classmates was obsessed with it so I downloaded the entire series to see what all the fuss was about.” It’s a nicer set of memories to dig into. “The one with the dog always kills me man, I can’t even look at it without getting all twisted up.”

“My favourite was the soldier who was sent far away to the creator’s home planet and he learns a song the man’s mother sang to him as a child.”

“Oh shit, yeah that one’s so good! And he asks him to stay and not go and fight anymore!” Leo nods rapidly. “Yeah, that’s a really good one. I guess my least favourite was the one where the guy makes a replacement for his son that died.”

“Because he couldn’t replicate the son’s soul and the machine was far too perfect to mimic his son’s emotional ups and downs.” The guy nods sagely.

“And- and that’s not fair to the robot, you know? Like, it’s not his fault that he’s not the son either.” Leo’s scrambling for the right words and desperately trying not to project but the words get away from him too quickly. “So this father is _doubly_ cruel because he lost his son he didn’t get along with, and then made a replacement and was disappointed in the robot too. He shouldn’t have expected that of either of them!” 

“Fascinating.” It’s said under his breath, but Leo hears it and shuts his mouth. “I never thought of it that way. I guess I was more interested in the father trying to create life after death, and creating something else entirely.”

“No one asks to be created. Not humans. Not androids.” Leo blurts out. “People shouldn’t expect anything of them. They should just take care of them and teach them how to navigate this fuckery.”

“Yes.” The guy nods slowly. “I think you’re absolutely right.”

He works Christmas Eve and Christmas morning because capitalism doesn’t rest and what else has he got to do? Simon’s packed him a thermos of his heavenly hot chocolate because, as Leo is convinced, Simon is an angel. He has to do better than pining after Markus though, because he deserves the world and Markus is- well okay, the leader of the revolution and all but he’s just a bit too much...like Carl. And that’s not exactly appealing. All that talk with Junkie about Urasawa’s Pluto and the soldier bot did get Leo thinking about the super cool new RK900 though, which he heard all about how Jericrew and Connor had to fight for his freedom. Maybe he can somehow meddle a bit. Maybe he’ll nag North to help and they can matchmake an angel with a knight.

“Oh. You’re here.” Junkie guy remarks as he enters the store. 

“And so are you.” Leo quips. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” He repeats with a quick quirk of his lips in what Leo’s learned is his version of a grin-smile. Same energy drinks, same chips, though he adds a block of chocolate to the pair. “You have any plans for the day?”

“Besides sleeping once my shift is done?” Leo snorts back a laugh. “I live with my dad and brother, so I guess I’ll eat some sort of meal with them when I wake up. It’s...kinda new. Spending time with them. We’re not- we haven’t been close.” And my brother is adopted and an android and the hero of the revolution and dad likes him _better_ , is what Leo doesn’t say. “You?”

“No family. Well. One family member left but sort of estranged.” He shakes his head. “Who knows? Christmas miracle might happen but I’m not holding out for it.” There’s a story there, something sad and bitter because Leo’s worn that expression on his own face before. “Still. Whatever happens at least I’ll be home and it’ll be quiet and I can rest a bit now we won a little battle.” It’s all vague, and purposefully so and Leo doesn’t mind because they’re strangers and not really meant to be talking but to be honest Leo likes this. Whatever this is between them.

“Got time to stay for a hot chocolate?” He offers and the guy grin-smiles in reply. “My friend made me a big thermos of it to last my shift but it’s honestly too much for one person.”

“Okay.” The guy replies with a nod, before looking around. “Do you stock marshmallows?”

“Oh dude I like the way you think, yeah, just down that aisle.” Leo points before ducking down to fetch the thermos from the little shelf under the counter. “I’ll get you a mug from the breakroom hang on.”

It’s the strangest yet somehow most amusingly precious Christmas moment in years. Here he is at 3am, sharing hot chocolate heaped with marshmallows with some nerdy junkie talking about some sci fi manga from the 2000s before he was even born. But it’s good. It’s fun. The guy is genuinely happy to talk about all sorts of sci fi media, especially anything to do with A.I. If that’s all it takes to keep him here, in the warm, well-lit store and away from the temptations of drug use then fuck yeah Leo will keep the conversation flowing. 

“I’m Leo by the way.” He mentions when they’re both close to finishing their respective cups because it seems like the right thing to do. 

“Yes, I know.” He points and oh, yeah, Leo wears a nametag. Haha. _Obviously_. “Manfred, right?” Ah fuck.

“Yeah.” He tries to flash a casual grin but he never knows how people handle that revelation. 

“Carl Manfred won an auction for an original manga page of Astro Boy.” 

“That’s a-” Leo makes a face “weird thing to connect him to, but yeah.”

“I’m Eli.” He holds out his hand and Leo clasps it firmly and it’s warm and the first human interaction he’s had since being handled by doctors so that’s a bit sad. “Thanks for the hot chocolate, Leo. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Eli.” He watches him go and the world sucks a little bit less, he decides.

He works New Year’s Eve and New Year’s morning because capitalism doesn’t rest and what else has he got to do? It’s 2039 now and yeah alright he lets himself feel a little hopeful because on January 1, 2038 he was addicted to red ice, in a shitty sharehouse with shitty people, and hated his life. Now he’s nearing two months of being clean, he has a job, he has _friends_ , he has a _brother_ and he doesn’t feel the desperate need to be validated by Carl Manfred. It’s the opposite of everything he felt last year. Oh and he managed to convince North to help him meddle, and so that means Simon and the very cool RK900, now named Ronan, have met and North swears she saw Simon blush so that’s an _excellent_ start. 

It’s 1am and in strolls Elijah _fucking_ Kamski in an expensive tuxedo and suddenly all of Leo’s good senses leave him and all that remains is his embarrassing crush from high school. He crushed on him _hard_ in high school, even did a big project on his application of artificial intelligence on camera technology. He always looked so effortlessly stylish and dashing, and he still does with his fashionable undercut and long hair swept to one side and bone structure sharp enough to cut steel. Leo is transfixed, watching him as he strolls down the aisles, picking up this and that before coming over and placing them on the counter. A pack of energy drinks and a jumbo pack of chips. Huh. Just like-

“Any thirium?” Asks a voice at the entrance and there she is, the First, the android Carl worked on; lovely and darling and sweet Chloe RT600.

“No dear, unfortunately they don’t stock it here.” He turns those startling icy blue eyes on him. “Just these, thank you Leo.”

“Wait, no, um, we do. We keep them behind the counter so you have to ask for them.” Leo scrambles to open the little fridge, taking out a couple of packets.

“Must be a new development.” Elijah frowns, tipping his head slightly. “You didn’t have those when I asked a couple of weeks ago.” A couple of weeks ago? No, Leo would _surely_ remember if Elijah Kamski came into the store and asked for something, wouldn’t he? 

“A-ah, no I- I don’t think it was me who served you, Mr Kamski.” Leo stammers, placing the thirium packets onto the counter. Elijah blinks owlishly at him.

“You’re the only one who works this shift, Leo.”

“What? Well, I mean yeah but-” wait. _Wait_. _W A I T._ “Eli-?”

“Yes?”

“You’re _Elijah Kamski_?!”

“Yes-?”

“Oh!” Chloe giggles, joining him at his side. Her expression is apologetic. “You’re the lovely young man he’s been telling me about! You’re all he talks about, you know.” There’s mischief on her face and Leo’s so sure he’s beet-red from both the horror of the revelation and from her gentle teasing. “You’ll have to forgive him, he’s not exactly a paragon of style unless he’s absolutely forced to change out of his hoodies.”

“Hoodies are _comfortable_ , Chloe.” Elijah huffs, and yeah, Leo can see it. He can see Eli’s expressions, his mannerisms and under that overgrown beard and stringy greasy hair is all _this_.

“Anyway.” Chloe simply looks at the eftpos machine and the payment is confirmed as she scoops up the purchases. “I’ll take these to the car. It’s lovely to meet you at last, Leo, and thanks for helping to keep my silly little genius alive.”

“Y-yeah um, yeah! Nice to meet you too!” Leo waves and none of it really seems real.

“Have you got anything else planned for New Year’s day?” Elijah asks, and he shakes his head.

“Nah. Just sleep.” Elijah frowns thoughtfully. 

“Do you want to come over? We could watch something. Or read. I have a manga library, a physical one.” A pause. “Is this a weird thing to ask you? I’m not really sure. I don’t really...talk to people. Ever, really. I just- you were the first person to talk to me like I wasn’t Elijah Kamski and it’s been really nice to talk to you.” 

“I-I-I’d love to!” Leo nods rapidly. “That sounds awesome, yeah um- I’ll usually sort of wake up after lunch.”

“I’ll send a car.” Elijah smiles and oh god he’s _so_ handsome when he smiles and Leo’s pretty sure all the blood in his body is pooled in his cheeks right now. “I’ll see you later, then, Leo.”

“Can’t wait.” He squeaks, waving dumbly as Elijah takes his leave. His knees buckle and he slumps onto the floor, nerves shot to pieces. Groaning he buries his face in his hands and tries to remember how to breathe.

“Leo, I forgot to-” Elijah’s voice calls from the entrance and Leo scrambles to his feet. “Ah, there you are. I forgot to give you this.” Crossing the store, he places a small giftwrapped package on the counter. “Belated Christmas present.” 

He leaves and Leo counts a full two minutes before he picks up the present and opens it carefully. 

It’s Naoki Urasawa’s ‘Pluto’, volume 4.

**Author's Note:**

> The chatpers Leo and Eli mention from Pluto are:  
> [The dog](https://smillingcartoonist.tumblr.com/post/156059866219/pluto-6)  
> [The robot soldier](https://smillingcartoonist.tumblr.com/post/156059866219/pluto-6)  
> [The android son](https://smillingcartoonist.tumblr.com/post/157882256064/pluto-38)
> 
> The title of the fic is the first chapter in volume 4, the manga Eli gifts Leo, which opens with the robot dog story.
> 
> As always, [I'm still on this hellsite](https://archadianskies.tumblr.com/).


End file.
